Thirty degrees and the sun was going down. Husband and I huddled together among a dozen strangers clustered around one of the few space heaters placed on this patch of dirt 3 hours north of Los Angeles. We were here in the middle of nowhere to experience British artist Bruce Munro’s Field of Light at Sensorio. A mix of art, technology and nature with over 50,000 solar-powered holiday lights spread over 15 acres in Paso Robles.
We had splurged on the VIP Experience. It includes a picnic dinner in a souvenir insulated tote bag, two drinks and (most importantly to ME) early entrance to the exhibit. A chance to see the start of the show before the crowd filled in. Other than dinner and drinks, there was little to do but keep warm and wait for the sun to set.
A Little History
Bruce Munro began creating art with light in 2004 with his Brilliant! exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London but he is best known for his Field of Light Uluru, Australia. (You may know Uluru as Ayer’s Rock). A Paso Robles businessman had seen the Australian exhibit and was instrumental in bringing this production to the central coast of California.
As dusk descended, a faint electric buzz filled the air as the bulbs nestled in and around this meadow illuminated the field, laying out a snowy dusting of white holiday lights. Other guests dropped their Cabernet-fueled merriment and gasped as they turned to see. . . is it starting?
The Show
We moved to the edge of the field. The lights danced a choreographic entrance to the sun’s exit. Colors began to roll out like a magic carpet blanketing the gentle hills and valleys of Sensorio, undulating with shades of blue, green, yellow and pink.
The little kid in me wanted to race down to the center of the valley and twirl, watching the colors spin past my eyes. Husband (always the sensible one) asked a nearby docent for advice. He suggested that the best experience could be had by walking around the upper perimeter first, then diving down into the middle.
We walked the recommended path, which was fairly empty of visitors, most of whom ran into the center of the exhibit as I had been tempted to do. From the perimeter, we were able to take in the vastness of the display. It is a milky way of colored glass spheres, a holiday lights galaxy swirling in an ordinary meadow.
We ventured down the path into the holiday lights display. We were immediately engulfed by it. Looking up from the bottom of the valley, it was sky and bulbs as far as the eye could see. We strolled along the inner pathways as color changes washed past us in waves.
The Experience
There is enough darkness to feature the lights and enough light to play off the darkness. You are equally in light and dark. You are not fully in either. There were no irreconcilable differences. I love the harmonious contradiction.
We were blessed with a cold, clear night and I was grateful for it. The frosty temperature probably kept some people from venturing out. Those that did brave the chill didn’t dawdle. They would gaze at a scene, then move right along.
In addition to the installations in Australia and California, Munro has exhibits in South Carolina, South Korea and Wiltshire, UK. His own personal Fields of Dreams. He has built them and people have come.
Plan Your Visit
Come to this spectacular holiday lights show! Attendance will be amply rewarded.
Tickets start at $19.00/children, $30.00/adults
I love it. Sooooo pretty
Thank you! I thought so too!
Amazing photos and the way you explain the experience makes me feel I’m right there with you!!
Thank you! That is always my goal – to take you with us!
What a beautiful experience! I have seen this online but you really have a creative way of writing your thoughts & feelings. I want to see this now, thank you!!
To hear that it made you want to go to a place I’ve written about is a huge compliment – thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! It looks so beautiful and it sounds like you had a great time with the husband 🥰🥰
Thank you so much! We really loved this exhibition. The city of Paso Robles is great also – kind of a mini Napa. You would enjoy it.
Wow!! Truly beautiful, and sounds like an amazing experience. I love the way your described it and thank you for sharing the tip your husband received from the docent. I will remember that if I can make it there, since now I really want to go 🙂
Thank you so much! That’s the best compliment I can receive – that you want to go!
This is absolutely gorgeous! We have so many wonderful things to see in California, but I personally gravitate towards things like this,
special, beautiful, out of the ordinary. I’d love to see this, it’s really a once in a lifetime experience, and those are the things that generally are most dear. Thank you for making this so inviting, and for taking us along on your journey.
Thank you! I agree – I love to find things that are off the beaten path or the road less traveled. You can still see this beautiful art installation – it is going to be on display through at least the first part of June.
And thank YOU for coming along on our journey!
Awesome post. music-like.ru
Thank you so much for commenting on our blog! It really was a magical evening – TTD